To the Band of Brothers: March 27, 2023

In my opinion, of all the sports known to man, there is none as nerve-racking as volleyball. I don’t know what it is, but I can’t sit and watch a game without twisting and turning like I have “ants in my pants that make me do the boogie dance” (wow, that just sent me back to elementary school). I think it has something to do with the fact that unlike any other sport, the lead changes violently from one moment to the next. When a team gets hot after a serve, it rolls along for several points, eventually passing their opponent and taking the lead only to lose it a few seconds later.

Maybe the excitement is because it reminds me of my seminary days when every Wednesday afternoon, after class, we would play volleyball. This was a tradition started eons ago by Jesuit seminarians as a way to blow off some steam built up after reading Aquinas and Augustine. Of all the sports they could have played, I think they chose volleyball because it was the one that allowed them to play while wearing their cassocks.

You know what a cassock is, right? It’s one of those long black robes buttoned down the front with long sleeves and a sash across the front where you conveniently tuck a crucifix. The collars are pretty stiff and go high up the neck, making you feel as comfortable as a Dolphin fan at Orchard Park. Can you imagine playing football with that thing on? Somebody tackles you, and the next thing you know, you have the crucifix stuck between your ribs up to the INRI.

Volleyball was the sport of choice for Jesuit seminarians and it was a lot of fun. Actually, I wasn’t too bad. I wasn’t able to spike very well because my cassock, I mean weight, didn’t allow me to get much off the ground, but I played some pretty good defense. It was my prowess as a defender that earned me the nickname “the Wall” in most volleyball circles around the seminaries of the United States.

This stroll down memory lane came as I sat in the Goizueta Gym watching our varsity team beat Carinal Gibbons last Wednesday. Do you realize they’re ranked first in the state? And for a good reason. They play magically as a team. Each player knows what to do, how high or low to set the other up, who serves this way and who serves that way. It’s like they read each other’s minds. It’s pretty freaky.

Here's another observation. Volleyball is the only sport I know that huddles literally after every point. They get together every time, whether they win the point or not. If they score, they huddle to congratulate each other. If they lose the point, they huddle together to encourage each other. They’re like a touchy-feely band of brothers. Heck, it seems to work because these guys are a menace on the court.

Coming from a veteran Belemita like myself (a.k.a. the Wall), trust me when I tell you we’ve come a long way from the days when volleyball was a game simply played during PE and never taken seriously. Coach Sifontes and his staff have these guys and the whole program playing like men driven for greatness. They are reaching extraordinary heights, powering through violent spikes, and making some serious waves in the state of Florida.

Auspice Maria.